She wasn’t going to miss this Christmas with her friends.
Bailey leaned over and hugged Nita under one arm. This woman had saved her life, and she thanked God every day for her friend’s skill as a physician assistant specializing in emergency care. Then she pulled Tori into the group hug. Her quick response on the satellite phone had gotten them airlifted and within thirty minutes she was at Camp Chapman where nurses and doctors jumped into action to keep her alive and save what remained of her leg.
Bailey’s gaze swept over the women she loved like the sisters she never had.
“Anyone want to go with me to midnight mass?” Katlin offered. “Uncle Francis is conducting the service at the Old Post Chapel at Arlington Cemetery.”
Chapter Four
Tanner looked at all the familiar faces in Case’s living room and wondered if everyone they went to high school with had shown for the New Year’s Eve party. He worried that Bailey would feel out of place, or worse, want to leave as soon as she got there. Glancing at the door, disappointment washed over him as another set of married friends arrived. Bailey was still a no show.
He watched old friends dance to the loud music and others talk in small groups as he stood sentinel a few feet from the door, nursing the same beer he’d been given when he’d arrived two hours ago.
“Thank God for your sister.” Case stepped up beside him and leaned his back against the wall. “This place looks great.” Erica had pulled this party out of the dumpster. When Case had extolled his plan to her yesterday to clean up his house a little—okay, he was a guy who lived alone and had a very busy life that called him out day or night, so that meant very little cleaning would happen—buy a keg, and call a few more people, Erica had gone ballistic. After a verbal berating that they were no longer in college and needed to act like adults, and at that point Tanner wasn’t sure how he’d been sucked into the contemptuous grouping, she’d announced that she’d take care of everything and send them the bill. Again, he wasn’t sure why he suddenly had to pay for a party he’d been invited to, but if meant Bailey would be impressed enough to give him a midnight kiss, he’d give his sister anything she wanted.
His gaze wondered back to the front door, where Bailey had yet to enter.
“Think she’ll show?” Case asked as he pointed to the kitchen, directing someone to the bar, complete bar with bartender and top shelf brands. Tanner wondered how much that would cost them.
“Yeah,” he said with more hope than actual belief. On the other hand, it was only nine o’clock, early for a long night of partying. When in the Army, he and his buddies didn’t often leave the house until after eleven on a weekend. To reassure himself as much as Case, he added, “I texted her a few hours ago and offered to pick her, up but she insisted on driving.”
“Leaves her an out if she’s not having a good time,” Case conjectured. “Smart girl.”
As he watched the growing crowd, Tanner commented, “I can’t believe you invited Janey Tennison.”
“I didn’t.” Case’s tone was none too happy. “Your sister did, along with several other members of her high school clique.”
“Yeah, they used to run together, but I didn’t know they’d kept up,” Tanner confessed. “You know her ex, and his very pregnant wife, are here.”
“I know. I invited Mike and his lovely wife, Sally.” Case glanced around as though looking for them. “They’re good, steady customers of mine with a pasture filled with milk cows.”
“You didn’t invite husband number two did you?” Tanner asked. “I never liked that pompous jerk.” Tanner changed the tone of his voice and straightened his back. “I am the chief of staff for the senator from Iowa.”
“Was it Iowa?” Case asked. “I thought it was Kansas.”
“Does it matter?” Tanner said with a sneer. “He’s gone and she’s on the prowl for number three.”
Case lifted his lanky body off the wall. “Speak of the devil in the blue dress. Sorry, dude, I’ve got to check something in the kitchen.”
Tanner debated a second too long on leaving his Bailey watch post or fleeing.
“Tanner Hill,” the sultry voice could lure a man into anything she wanted from him, but it was the blue dress that hugged every one of her curves that held his attention. He’d first noticed those feminine turns when she’d grown breasts in seventh grade, then watched her hips sway as she paraded down the halls all through high school. Janey Tennison had always been sex personified. And she knew it.
She was also a man-eating tiger with claws that dug deep. For all the years he, and every hormonal boy in school, had panted after her, she would have nothing to do with him. But when Tanner had returned from Army Ranger School, stronger than he’d ever been in his life, sure he had life by the tail, she couldn’t keep her hands off him. For the two weeks he was home, they were together constantly. He thought he’d fallen in love, but it was really just a bad case of lust. Her parting words, “this has been so much fun, maybe we can get together again when you come home next time,” sealed that non-relationship for him. Maybe would never happen again.
Janey ran long manicured fingers up his blue button-down shirt. “You’re looking so fit these days. Are you working out?” She wrapped her arms around his neck and stepped so close her whole body pressed against his. “It’s so good to see you again.”
He didn’t want to seem rude, his grandmother had raised him to be a Virginia gentleman, so he patted her on the back. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.” Not long enough, though.
In the distance, he heard a familiar, “Thank you.” His gaze shot to where Case was helping Bailey out of her fluffy coat. Their eyes met and he watched hers dim as the smile fell from her face.
Darn it all.
Case gave him a Cheshire grin. Well, two can play that game.
Tanner took Janey by the hips and moved her back several feet. “Janey, I’d like you to meet my date. Case is over there playing the good host, and I should really go take care of my frie—girlfriend.” He’d purposefully accented the word girl. He hadn’t lied. Bailey was a girl and she was his friend.
“Oh.” Janey seemed startled by the move.
“You know, Case and I were just talking about you.” Tanner added fuel to the woman’s hopes.
“He mentioned me?” Janey stared as Case and Bailey chatted casually.
“Oh, yes.” Tanner started toward the prettiest woman in the room. Soft dark curls brushed her shoulders as she nervously smiled up at Case. He caught the furtive glances his way from her suspicious brown eyes. He needed to fix this, right now.
The closer he got, the more gorgeous she looked. The first thing he noticed was her dramatic eyes, smoky and gold. It dawned on him that she rarely wore makeup. She’d done this for him. The thought warmed him all though his body and he couldn’t hold in the smile.
Her silky gold blouse shifted from light yellow to a deep rich caramel as she moved. He wondered if it was as soft as it looked. She’d tucked it into dress slacks that showed off the way her hips rounded from her small waist. Tall black boots with gold buckles covered her slacks from the knee down and hid the prosthetic leg. Cleaver. And beautiful.
“Bailey.” Tanner wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her more tightly than a friendship called for, but he was sending a message to everyone in the room, including her. “I’m so glad you finally made it.”
He withdrew slightly and stared into big eyes that she’d flared out to the side. “Did you have problems finding the place? I knew I should have picked you up.” He placed a kiss on her cheek then gave her another, gentler hug. He whispered in her ear, “Thank you for coming.”
When she slid her arms around his back, he couldn’t breathe.
“Thank you for inviting me.” The heat of her breath kissed his ear just before her lips brushed across his cheek.
Fireworks that coursed through his body making every nerve ending tingle to life. He never wanted to let her go, but he had to
. This was more of a public display of affection than he’d given in…ever.
As though in sync, they stepped apart, but he kept her at his side, arm secure around her. “Bailey, I’d like you to meet Janey Tennison, my sister’s old friend, who I haven’t seen in years. She and Erica used to hang out together as teenagers.”
Bailey extended her hand. “Nice to meet you, Janey.”
Practically ignoring Bailey, Janey briefly shook her hand once then turned all her attention to Case. “I understand you and Tanner were talking about me.” She slid a hand up their host’s arm to the back of his neck.
Case glared at Tanner who gave him a raised eyebrow. Message received.
With a pasted on smile, Case removed her hand. “Matter of fact we were. I understand that you’re single again, and I’ve invited several of my college buddies here tonight. Would you like to meet them?”
She brought her other hand up around his neck and started to sway to the music. “I’d rather dance with you, Case.”
Seeing that Janey had moved on, Tanner turned to Bailey who stood dumbfounded, watching Case desperately try to extricate himself. “Let’s get something to drink.”
She looked at him as though she hadn’t realized he was there. After a glance back at Case and Janey, she smiled. “That sounds wonderful.”
With his hand securely at the small of her back, Tanner guided her to the kitchen.
“Bailey,” his sister shrieked and made a beeline for them. “I’m so glad you could come.” The two women hugged like the friends they’d become over the past year.
“I didn’t know you’d be here.” Bailey sounded relieved and for some reason, that irked Tanner a little. He was now more determined than ever to show her a good time tonight.
“What can I get you to drink?” he placed his hand on her back and turned her slightly toward the bartender dressed in a crisp white shirt, black vest and bow tie that had the years imprinted on each side. With dramatic flair, he was finishing several drinks at the same time to the coos and ahhs of several women Tanner recognized as college friends of Erica’s. He wasn’t impressed with the show, but as he glanced down at Bailey to ask her drink preference, he saw that she was enthralled as the guy spun bottles and flirted.
The women clapped and grabbed their orange drinks. “Hey, Tanner, great party,” several commented as they sipped and headed toward the music. Since he couldn’t remember any of their names, he just nodded and said thanks.
“Now,” he said as they stepped up to the bar. “What are you drinking tonight?”
“Wow, those looked so good.” Her gaze followed the women out the door.
“Sex on the Beach,” the bartender announced. “Are you interested in some Sex on the Beach?”
“Uh, no.” Bailey blushed and Tanner thought it was the sweetest thing he’d ever seen. “Do you have white wine?”
“Of course.” He riffled through a bucket filled with ice and bottles. “I have a riesling, chardonnay, and Pin—”
“Go for the Pinot Grigio, it’s one of my favorites,” Erica called from across the room where she was dealing with the caterer.
“Very well then, Pinot Grigio.” Bailey smiled up at his sister.
The bartender poured the golden liquid into a wine glass and handed it to her. “Another beer, Mr. Hill?”
Tanner was surprised the man knew who he was. His sister’s doing, he was sure. Keep your host happy. “Yes, please.” He gladly exchanged the overly warm bottle for one sweating with chill. His first swig was bliss. Everything was going to work out well. It had to. Bailey was there. “Would you like to meet some people?”
“Sure. If you need to socialize, I’ll be happy to tag along and meet your friends.” She sounded excited about that prospect. He took her hand and wove his fingers through her much smaller ones. Their palms fit together as though they belonged. She felt right, at his side.
He started in the kitchen, introducing her to everyone…as his friend…but no one missed their linked hands. By the time they’d made it through the family room, dining room, and to the living room, he’d seen almost all the guys he’d hung out with in high school, met their wives, if he didn’t already know them, and had seen more pictures of babies than Keith, their fellow graduate who was a pediatrician.
Bailey was wonderful. She could talk to anyone about nearly anything. She’d gotten into a serious medical discussion with Keith about her injuries, surgeries and recovery, then in another group she was exchanging recipes with some of the wives. She’d even impressed his jock friends as she told them everything she was doing in preparation for the Paralympics. He’d had no idea her workouts were so intense or what a serious athlete she was.
They turned to walk on to the next group, but she’d already met them and they’d engaged in a lively debate about the doping charges at the Olympics.
Everyone liked Bailey and she seemed to be having a good time. For a while, it had just been Tanner and Bailey, two adults at a party. It had been wonderful.
“I guess that’s everyone,” Tanner announced as he scanned the room. Thank goodness. His mouth was dry. He hadn’t talked that much, ever. “Want something to drink?”
“That would be great.” Her smile was filled with thanks.
They started to take a shortcut across the empty dance floor as the music started again with a slow song. “Want to dance?” Tanner offered, then confessed, “I don’t really dance. I kind of hug and shuffle my feet.”
Bailey’s laugh warmed his soul. “I’m good with that.” She glanced down at her legs and admitted, “I haven’t danced since…the incident.”
He pulled her to him, bringing their joined hands to his chest, right over his heart, and wrapped his other arm around her back. “Then let me be your first.”
When she wrapped her arms around his neck, his heart swelled to the point he could hardly breathe.
“I’d like that.” Bailey nestled her head on his chest and leaned her body completely against his.
Tanner was in heaven.
Chapter Five
Bailey loved the feel of Tanner’s arms around her. She hadn’t been held by a man—not even her father—in years. As she nuzzled into his broad chest, she inhaled deeply with contentment. Spice, laundry soap, and man filled her.
Wow. Just wow.
“Are you having a good time?” Tanner’s voice rumbled under her ear.
She lifted her head and looked up at him with a smile. “I am.” This night had turned out so much better than she’d feared. Her first few minutes had been an emotional disaster. She’d followed a couple, who was so engrossed in their argument the entire way down the sidewalk, they’d completely ignored her, then practically shut the door in her face. Thank goodness Case had rescued her.
She’d wanted to turn around and go back home when she’d seen Tanner hugging that perfect woman with the long shapely legs, hair to die for, and a body sculpted by surgeons—but not the kind who’d worked on her. But when he’d grabbed onto Bailey, hugged her like she was his lifeline, she was sure she’d made the right decision to come.
“I like your friends.” She’d been able to find something of common interest in each group, a skill she’d been taught during special operations training, that helped her in her practice. What surprised her most all, these people had grown up together and were still close. She’d never had that until her military training. Sure, she and Tori had been good friends at her last high school, but she didn’t have two dozen friends she’d known all her life.
Now, though, she considered every woman she’d gone through SpecOps training with that close. Right then, dancing in Case’s living room, she promised herself to keep those women close, forever. She liked that sense of belonging, not just to the group, but to the people, who sincerely cared about each other. Tanners friends truly cared about him.
“They like you, too.” Tanner chuckled. “Most were very curious about you, but I think you surprised several of them when you told them
you were a psychologist.”
“That usually makes people shut up and close down,” Bailey admitted. “But your friends were more interested as to what you were doing with me than what I do for a living.”
“They like what we do.” Tanner started shuffling toward the kitchen. Good. Bailey was still thirsty. “I’ve never heard you talk so much about your prosthesis before.”
“I’m afraid I down right shocked a few of your friends,” she admitted. “But I love to educate people about the possibilities, rather than the inabilities and limitations.” She snickered. “I think your friends were more shocked that I lost my leg to an IED, and that I actually served overseas in the war.”
“Yeah.” Tanner drew her back to him and cupped her head to his chest. “Not many from this area volunteered to enlist. Most went on to college. We had one guy go to the Naval Academy, but he dropped out after a year and went to the University of Virginia.”
For the first time, Bailey wondered why Tanner had gone into the Army. Did he not have the chance to go to college? “But you chose to head straight into the Army.”
His hand rubbed her back up and down before he answered. “We all make choices. The Army was the right place for me. I get sea sick, even on little sail boats on the lake. Do you sail?”
She saw through his attempt to change the subject and allowed it. “Yes. My parents own a yacht, and I had to take sailing lessons as a child. I even went to a camp on Lake Michigan one summer to learn to race.”
He leaned back and looked down at her. “Your parents race yachts.” It wasn’t a question.
“They do.” Then she quickly added, “But I don’t. I did. Well, just a few times because they insisted, but I never liked it. I don’t race anymore.” She was rambling so she shut her mouth and rolled in her lips.
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